By Katelyn Polantz, CNN
(CNN) — The Justice Department has told four large law firms targeted by President Donald Trump that its decision to withdraw from court fights with them is being reversed, according to people familiar with the change on Tuesday morning.
The latest move appears to re-up Trump’s attempts to try to block the firms from federal government access over their ties to Democrats.
Trump had attempted to use the powers of the presidency to prevent the firms’ lawyers from accessing federal buildings, securing classified information and meeting with federal agencies — all mainstays of Washington-based legal work.
The firms had challenged the executive orders and have so far won in court.
The Justice Department was appealing the judges’ rulings striking down executive orders placed on the four firms — Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr; Perkins Coie; Jenner & Block; and Susman Godfrey – last year.
On Monday night, however, the Trump administration retreated in full, telling the DC US Circuit Court of Appeals it agreed to drop the cases.
Yet the firms were told Tuesday morning the department was changing its mind and filings reflecting the change of plans would be sent to the DC Circuit soon after, people familiar with the plan told CNN.
The Justice Department notified the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday it was withdrawing its willingness to end the fight.
Lawyers for the law firms hit back, however, telling the court, “Under no circumstances should the government’s unexplained about-face provide a basis for an extension of its brief.”
Judges from the circuit haven’t yet responded.
The free speech advocacy group the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression condemned the Justice Department digging in on its executive orders on Tuesday, and capturing the broader concern over the targeting of the firms.
“Today’s reversal is an embarrassment,” Will Creeley, FIRE’s legal director, said. “Like we said yesterday: This is the president going after his political opponents, a plain and simple violation of our nation’s commitment to justice and individual rights. That’s still true 24 hours later.”
On Monday night, all four law firms issued lengthy statements celebrating their wins.
They also reiterated their opposition to the administration as part of a broader effort to protect the rule of law, and noted four federal judges in DC had called the restrictions that the Trump administration tried to place on the firms’ Washington lawyers unconstitutional.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment Tuesday.
Trump vs Big Law
The administration’s fight to change the business approach of major law firms has included some of the most shocking attempts at retribution by Trump for his own past legal issues.
The firms that had faced executive orders were singled out by the White House as being in opposition to Trump himself or national security threats.
Each of the firms, Trump said, had employed lawyers who had investigated or opposed him, especially in the special counsel investigation of Robert Mueller